Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan

24 December 2013, Tuesday

Today, the Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan Artem Sidorov responded to the questions of journalists. The briefing devoted to the results of the activity of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2013, as well as the results of the Year of Environmental Culture and Nature Protection in the Republic of Tatarstan was held at the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan.

According to the Minister, the expiring year was important not only to the ecological specialists, but also to all citizens of Russia. The year 2013 was for the first time in the history of the Russian Federation declared as the Year for Environmental Protection. In the Republic of Tatarstan, the Year was devoted to Environmental Culture and Nature protection, and special attention was paid to ecological education and fostering of ecological awareness among the population.

The year 2013 was for the first time in the history of the Russian Federation declared as the Year for Environmental Protection. In the Republic of Tatarstan, where special emphasis is placed on ecological education, the Year was devoted to Environmental Culture and Nature protection.

In secondary educational establishments, social and ecological campaigns were held, namely “school ecological monitoring”, “school forestry”, “lessons of cleanliness” and so on.

In order to engage the population in solution of matters related to nature protection, the Ministry held such contests as “Clear view”, “ECOleader”, “Man and Nature”, and a contest “Children paint their country” was organized jointly with a TV channel “Russia-1. Tatarstan”.

A series of programs was implemented in the Republic of Tatarstan in order to improve the air, namely:

– transfer of motor vehicles to compressed natural gas;

– equipment of gas filling stations of the Republic of Tatarstan with gas vapor recovery systems.

Considerable ecological impact on Kazan was made due to construction of new transport junctions. In such a way, owing to elimination of traffic jams, considerable reduction of emissions of pollutants into the air was ensured and confirmed by a series of chemical and analytical tests.

Speaking of ecological surveillance, the Minister acknowledged active participation of citizens who place their notifications in the State Information System “People’s Control” (623 notifications were obtained in the “Waste deposits” section, whereof 565 were successfully dealt with). All in all, ecological specialists conducted more than 6,800 inspections with regard to compliance with nature protection legislation; more than 2,600 companies, organizations and industrial facilities of the Republic were inspected.

In 2013 several directions of work were enforced in the field of protection of water resources of the Republic. Systematic work was carried out in the Interdepartmental Operational Group on Regulation of Work of water-collecting areas of the Volga-Kama cascade. Work on establishment of boundaries of water protection zones and coastal protective areas of water facilities on Mesha and Stepnoy Zay rivers was carried out, the events on establishments of boundaries for water protection areas on Aktay, Bersut, Sheshma, Shoshma, Sviyaga rivers and Mochilische lake near Bolgar are planned for 2014.

The quality of Sredny Kaban Lake was brought into compliance with regulations, while the matter of improvement of Kazanka River is under special control, including in the framework of preparation of the World Aquatics Championship in 2015.

According to Artem Sidorov, this year the amount of cases of illegal quarry development has increased. As of the beginning of the year, 179 violations were revealed with regard to the requirements of nature protection legislation in this field.

The Minister for Ecology acknowledged positive tendency with regard to work with companies. As a result of an agreement between the Ministry of Ecology and Natural resources of the Republic of Tatarstan and “Nefis Cosmetics” OAO, production of type B oleic acid and laundry soap was ceased, which allowed to exclude substances with strong odor from production, namely soap stock and hydrofuse. At “Nizhnekamsknephtekhim” OAO, underground disposals of production wastes are reclaimed on the territory of Nizhnekamsk industrial hub.

Starting from 2014, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan was delegated with the right to exercise state management of the system of consumption and production waste management. The relevant department is formed at the Ministry, and the plan of activities for the nearest future has been elaborated. In 2014, the work on creation of a complex system of consumption and production waste management will be of top priority. The main emphasis will be placed on putting things to order at landfills of solid domestic waste, on accounting of waste formation at the companies, activation of work of waste processers and the work on creation of the market of secondary resources.

“It is very important not only to preserve the plank and those practices that were established in the last years and enforced in the expiring year 2013, but also to multiply them, and it is important for our work to be continued. In the Republic of Tatarstan, we have all that it takes: political will, economic potential, and, which is very important, understanding and support of our citizens”, noted the Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan, Artem Sidorov.

Press Service of the Ministry

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Results of the Year of Ecology were summarized at the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan